Should we give it another go?

Hi there folks. You might remember me, but I wouldn't hold it against you if you don't...considering it has been almost 3 months since I last attempted to revive this blog.  We have had a lot going on, and I've been involved in a few outside things that make time management a bit of an issue.  However, what I have found is that I would be doing a disservice to people if I didn't find time to update this at least once a week.  So, rather than try and post every few days I think I will start with once a week and see what happens.  Fair enough? :)

Changes.  The Hanson household has seen a few changes lately.  My awesome and amazing husband has decided to join CrossfitX with me!  I've wondered when the day would come that he would give it a try and I am so proud of him for taking the plunge.  It's not easy walking through those doors when you know you will be surrounded by people who might lift heavy, run fast, pull harder, etc.  As nice as people can be, and as welcoming as CFX is, it's only natural for fear and anxiety to set in.  It has been 19 months since I started Crossfit, but I remember that moment of fear to this day.  I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere that athletes were present and I sure as heck didn't want to make eye contact with anyone for fear I would have to talk to them.  What would I say? I have nothing in common with these people? Right?  Oh how wrong I was, and how wrong that perception is sometimes.  Although Crossfit members are some of the most fittest on Earth (have you SEEN the CrossFit Games?), they are still just people.  People who come from all different walks of life with their own sets of challenges and hurdles.  Everyone comes with a goal in mind, and although some goals may be vastly different than our own, they are still special goals with very deep meaning behind them.

Jon is doing an awesome job, and each day that he goes in it is progress towards his own personal goals.  I can't even explain to you how proud of him I am. He does so much for our family, and as my husband, I just want the very best things in life for him.  If Crossfit can give back just a smidge of what he has done for me then it is all worth it.  I love you honey!

Where I am now.  When you last read a post from me I had just failed to complete the PAT for the Bellingham Police Department.  Although it is embarrassing to have everyone read about a failure, I would not take it back because people need to understand that journeys have struggles and you have to find a way to work past those, not hide them.  I took some time to dial back the training for a month to give myself a mental break.  I put way too much pressure on myself that time, and it mentally drained me.  Rumor has it that the next entry-level recruitment will be in August and you better believe I will be there to try again.  It didn't take long for me to get bored and back to 5-6 days a week at CFX though.  Although I would like to say my nutrition is in high gear right now, I can't.  My weight is now in between 157 and 160.  That means I have lost 80lbs since joining CFX 19 months ago.  I still feel that my body needs to loose at least another 40lbs though, so it's time to finish this weight loss ride so I can focus on building the healthy body I need to have. 

My strength has improved at CFX but not as quickly as I would like.  I know the reason behind this though, which makes me kick myself every time I think about it.....NUTRITION.  People, I can not emphasize this enough, no matter how much work you put into working out you will never reach your goal unless your nutrition is completely dialed in.  This does NOT mean drinking meal replacement shakes full of chemical additives.  This means learning how to fuel your body using real food, the right kind of food.  My saving grace has been Paleo.  I would be lying through my teeth if I said it was easy, because it can become overwhelming while working full time and having a family, but it is do-able.  So why don't I just do it then?  I wish I could give you a simple answer for that but I can't.  Perhaps I am just still struggling with emotional/stress eating, and perhaps I still don't fully believe I can finish this.  The 2nd idea is probably more fitting.  Yes, I've lost 80lbs. Yes, I can deadlift my body weight in workouts now. Yes, I can clean 102.5lbs and get 135lbs over my head.  Yes, I used to wear a size 26 in clothes and just bought a pair of size 10 pants.  BUT....I still see myself as the fat girl sometimes and still let the little nagging voice in my head tell me I can't finish this because it's too hard.

This week has been a good week at CFX, especially the last 2 days.  I was on vacation last week and even though I tried to be "good" I was off the wagon quite a bit for what I consider my normal nutrition and workouts.  Monday came and I was still stressed out that 2lbs had crept back on after a week, and I was wondering how hard it would be to get those 2lbs back off.  I have worked so hard for those 80lbs to be gone that it makes me so angry when they come back, so I was stressed.  Then I was checking the Women of Crossfit = Strong Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/CFStrongWomen ) and saw that the page host, Meg, and put up the picture I sent her of me doing a 1-handed handstand.  The encouraging comments I received on that post were so uplifting and just what I needed to remind myself that this is not just about me.  This is about me sharing my journey so that other people can be encouraged to finish theirs as well.  To top it off, today's WOD helped put things into perspective:
Warmup: 2x400m runs...then,
1600m run
Rest 8 minutes
1200m run
Rest 6 minutes
800m run
Rest 4 minutes
400m run

Dude, that is 3 miles of running.  That's ALL we did today.  I told myself today that I was refusing to give in to any type of mental fatigue.  I have trained hard enough and long enough that my body CAN do all of that without stopping, so it ws 100% a mental WOD and I am proud to say the WOD lost :). I did each of those intervals (400m = 1/4mile) without stopping and my time were pretty darn good!  Everyone still lapped me, but that's a-ok...I accomplished my goad and impressed myself by doing faster than usual so I will take it!  *then my crazy awesome husband decided he had to give it a go too, soooo proud! Ladies night was tonight and my legs were pretty dang tired but we had fun with that too and it was awesome to see our CFX ladies giving it their all.

Reality. I wish I could just surgar-coat if for you....but the fact of the matter is that hard work is the only way you will see lasting results so you better just start now.  If you start now and it takes you 32 months, at least you didn't wait 32 months to start!  I see so much potential in people who are struggling with their weight and/or fitness level because I am them.  That will always be a part of who I am no matter how I look on the outside.  For the rest of my life I will struggle with temptations, hypothyroidism, and very slow metabolism.  But I want to reach my dreams so badly that I'm tired of letting that other part of my life win. 

Never stop trying again. If you are sitting on the fence about something you need to do in order to accomplish your goals in life (no matter what they may be), just ask yourself this:  What do I have to lose, and how will I feel in a few months if I had not given it a shot now?  Failures will come, and setbacks will inevitably happen...but those who never give up are the ones who build character and help to changes the lives of others. 

Let's give this another shot, be patient with me, and let me know how I can help you in your own journey.  My life has been drastically changed by CFX, and I want everyone to know they are worth the effort. 

2 Seconds: Stop Underestimating Yourself

It's now been a couple of weeks since the City of Bellingham PAT, and we've been quite busy around the house because our daughter just had surgery to remove her adenoids and tonsils, and repair a hole in her eardrum.  Thanks to those of you who prayed with us and checked in on little Kaylee. She has her spunk back, so she's really getting better.  I've been wanting to get a chance to sit down and update everyone on the blog about the test, as well as give you all something to think about within your own lives.

So, our plan for test day (Friday, March 16th) was for Jon to take Kaylee in to daycare so that I could get extra sleep and take my time to mentally prepare before the test.  Well, I woke up at 7:00am to the sound of a barking cough coming from down the hall.  Kaylee had woken up with croup. Not only could she not go to daycare, but we only have 1 car, so I had to find a way to the test via bus because Jon had to take her to the doctor.  Everything was thrown for a loop and I was pretty distracted all morning.  We figured it all out and I found a bus route that got me to the area about an hour early.  I sat in a Subway for about 35 minutes just gathering my thoughts and reading the TONS of encouraging messages many of my friends and family sent to me that morning.  I felt as prepared as I could be, and finally it was time.

I walked to Civic Field and checked in.  There were officers all over and they were very friendly to everyone.  As soon as I checked in, I was introduced to the officer who was in charge of our group.  He said that he knew of me because one of the officers mentioned my name, and she remembered me from the Citizen's Academy.  This was very encouraging, but also made me nervous because they already knew who I was.  It was cold, raining, and windy (lovely NorthWest combination...thanks mother nature).  There were 4 people in my group, including myself.  We walked down to the field to start the 300m sprint.  This was the first round, and if you don't pass then you don't move on.  The minimum time to complete the 300m sprint is 71 seconds.  We were lined up on the track, and I was in the very back which meant that I could see everyone else lined up in front of me.  There were several officers along the track, keeping track and watching everyone.  Each runner was assigned an officer who kept score.

As soon as they counted us down, "3...2...1...GO" I sprinted off faster than I have ever ran before.  I saw everyone sprinting in front of me and I was determined to stay with them, and I did stay with them for the first 200 meters.  Once we rounded the last corner though, something happened and my body began to slow down.  I saw the other 3 runners moving so quickly, making it look SO EASY.  I felt myself fight against my fears and tried to not get discouraged, but I didn't have enough faith in myself.  I was about 50 meters away from the finish line when I just slowed down.  I didn't remember what really happened until the next day when I couldn't sleep without dreaming about the scenario over and over and over.  What happened was that I saw everyone else cross the finish line and thought there was no way in the world that I was anywhere close to 71 seconds. I literally thought I had already crossed the 90 second mark and was already embarassed about something that had not even happened yet.  As much as I kept thinking that there was nothing else I could do, I believe now that my self doubt sabotaged my efforts.  While I do believe that I was pushing my body as hard as I thought I could, I think there was more fight in there that I was not giving myself credit for.  I have replayed the finish line over, and over, and over in my sleep and I practically grazed over the finish line.  I thought there was no way that I could be anywhere close to the 71 seconds.  They had all finished at least 10 seconds ago and clearly passed the test.

When I crossed the finish line we all walked towards the next phase, but I could feel it in the air that I had not passed.  When the officer assigned to me called my name, I knew what he was going to say...or so I thought.  I looked at him and said "It's okay, I was too slow, wasn't I?"  I never would have dreamed what he would say next though.  He acted like he really didn't want to tell me the results for some reason. "Well, yeah....you had to make 71 seconds, you made 73."  73????????  73, not 93, not 103.  73.  I was only 2 seconds off.  Although everyone else had finished so far ahead of me, I still could have been fast enough but I thought there was no way I was anywhere close.   I let self doubt dictate this race that I had worked so hard to complete and pass.  I still believe I pushed as hard as I could for 90% of the race, so hard that I actually may have pulled something (oops), but I actually was running fast enough.  Little 'ol short me, I was running fast enough - I just didn't believe it was possible.

Since I did not pass the sprint, I was not able to take any further tests and was disqualified.  The officers were so gracious and encouraging, and they told me to keep trying.  As easy as it would be to feel sorry for myself and say "screw this, I've worked my tail off for 15 months only to fail?!?!", that is no longer who I choose to allow myself to be.  I didn't pass the test, but I didn't fail.  You fail when you give up on yourself and you stop trying again.  You fail when you tell yourself that you're not worth the sacrifice.  You fail when you decide that the pain of regret is softer than the pain of discipline.  I refuse to give up, and I refuse to stop trying.  Even though I could have ran fast enough, I had to push my body to its limit - which means I still have a ways to go.  Yes, after 15 months there is still work to be done but I am ok with that. 

Are you allowing self-doubt to creep in and sweep away your dreams?  Are you on the verge of giving up because you don't believe you can get to the next level?  What you don't realize is that you are much more capable of achieving your dreams than you let yourself believe.  The problem is, you can't envision yourself achieving that goal just yet so you don't think it can be done.  IT CAN BE DONE, and YOU CAN DO IT.  Stop second guessing yourself, and stop selling yourself short.  I refuse to stop trying, no matter how many time I have to try. One day I will become a police officer and finally be able to put my passions into play, but I will never get there if I give up.  2 seconds could cause a person to quit out of frustration, but I will choose to use it as fuel to remind myself that I really CAN do this.  I was doing it, I just stopped myself.

The Test...it's finally here

I have hesitated to write again until this week is over. Part of me is afraid of "jinxing" it, and part of me is afraid of everyone seeing me fail if I don't meet the standards.  Friday is a big day this week, a day that I have looked forward to for many months.  At 12:00pm I will be taking the Physical Agility Test for the Bellingham Police Department.  There will be 4 tests (1.5mi run, 300m sprint, sit-ups, push-ups) and I will be interviewed while I am tested.  This day used to seem so far away, and part of me wishes time would stand still so I could wait a little longer.  However, my heart tells me that I am ready to give this the best attempt at anything I ever have before.  I've trained hard, and I am going into this with no regrets this time.  If I am not ready, then I need to be okay with that.  Not everyone can pass this test. In order to be able to get through the Academy, you've got to be up to the physical standards of their training. 

I wish more than anything that my time has finally come and I pass with flying colors.  As much as I have put it out there, sometimes I wonder if I should have just kept quiet.  It's easier to not put yourself out there and fail, then no one knows about it and you can be the only one who is disappointed in yourself, right?  I used to think so.  Now I know better.  Never sharing your dreams is a lonely way to live because you do not have anyone to celebrate it with when you finally see those dreams come true.  You also lose the abilty to help others through their struggles if you fail to share your own.  Coming to the realization that I was in the worst shape of my life when I graduated college was painful.  I had just spent the last 4 years working full-time, going to school full-time, getting married, and having a baby with several complications.  I got through it, but little did I know that I had yet to face the hardest part.  It's been a long 13 months, but I wouldn't trade the lessons I have learned for anything.  You have to want something bad enough in order to turn your life around.  If it is worth having, it is worth giving up comfort for.  I think that we should all embrace our biggest life dream and share it with those who are in our lives.  You find out who your true friends are, and you find out who is dragging you down. 

Friday will be a big day, and I'm trying to keep my nerves calm until then as much as possible.  I have noticed that I tend to psyche myself out when I want to achieve something physically lately.  It's been a weird cycle lately that I'm trying to break through.  My hope and prayer for Friday is that I just let go and enjoy the process.  It's clear that if I'm not ready by now then I won't be ready by Friday, so I need to just go in there and give it everything I've got.  I hope they can at least learn how much I want to be a part of this amazing department and how much work has gone into getting this far.

As scary as it is to put it out there, I'm okay with what happens.  I have to be, because there is nothing to be ashamed of.  My CrossFit family has helped me realize that you should always be proud of yourself for trying something hard, even when it doesn't go as planned.  No matter what happens, you are farther along than you were yesterday and the wall you are trying to break through is now one brick shorter.

What is your "18 inches"?

There are times in our lives when we make a commitment to change something about ourselves because we have simply had enough. We are tired of living the same way day in and day out, without ever reaching the potential that God has in store for us.  That change may be physical, emotional, mental, relational, or a combination of several.  Whatever the reason, you decided that you were finally worth the effort.  Days go by, weeks go by, and then for the first time in your life...months go by.  It's the first time you haven't quit on yourself. You gain a new sense of self-confidence as each day passes without you falling off the bandwagon.  Your former self would have quit a long time ago, because you keep telling yourself "you always eventually quit, so you might as well give up now".  Your former self would take the easy way out, yet endure the pain of letting yourself down again.

Never stop trying again. Never. This has now become your new motto, and it keeps you going when things seem tough.  It keeps you going when you slip up and have something not on your new lifestyle menu, or you choose sleep over that 5:30am workout.  Just when you feel that you're on the upswing of this new journey, you are reminded once again that there are things you still can't do.  There's still something that you really wish you could do, but you haven't conquered that yet.  For many of you, that might be running your first mile, or doing your first perfect-form push-up.  For others of you, it might be loosing 50lbs and being able to hold your bodyweight over your head.  For me, it was an 18" metal box that has taunted me ever since I was able to complete 12" box jumps without much effort. 

18 inches...I am 3.3 times taller than 18 inches, yet it still seemed so tall. Every Saturday when the big CFX workout happens and the crew comes out in full force, it was becoming harder and harder to not be self conscious about still having to use the 12 inch box.  It's probably the only thing I've been self conscious about while at our box.  For some reason I swear it would taunt me just saying "this is one thing you CAN'T do, you just can't jump this high".  So, I would listen to the stupid piece of metal and only jump 12" each time, while feeling like I could do twice as many as required and still not be winded yet.  I allowed myself to give in to the intimidation.

Last week, that 18" piece of metal finally lost.  Skill work for the morning was snatches and tall box jumps.  I knew this was finally my time to get over my fear of not jumping high enough.  Yes, I'm short....but dang-it, if girls like Carly (one of the sweetest and strongest CFX girls I know, and just as short as me) can jump on 24" boxes then surely I can manage 18"!  Right?  Right?  Well, I wasn't sure, so I leaned on my coach for guidance and finally conquered something that was trying to get the best of me.  I first used 2 PVC pipes [which we use for stretching] to propel me up onto the box.  Then I did running leaps towards the box.  Then I finally made it, freaking myself out so much that I quickly jumped down :).  I had to do it again just to make sure it was not a fluke, and sure enough, I can now do 18" box jumps with a smile.  Another step forward was moving from a green band on the pull-up bars to blue.  When I started CrossFit I couldn't even do black-banded pull-ups.  I had absolutely NO strength.  To know that I am only 2 bands away from having an unassisted pull-up is crazy.

The only reason I was finally able to get that 18" box jump is because I refused to let intimidation win, and I leaned on those who I knew believed in myself more than I did at the time.  My coach told me he knew I could do it.  Even though I am sure he tells that to everyone, I knew in my heart that he really DID believe I could do it.  That's when I had to just do what he told me.  When things feel hard and it doesn't seem like you can do it......just do what they say.  Tell the negative voices in your head to shut up, and listen to the words of someone who is trying to help you change your life.  You are worth so much more than the intimidation brought on by your own "18 inches", whatever that may be.  If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to get past those 18 inches.  It hurts, and it's scary, but the changes you can make in your life will rock your world! 

I know I say it over and over again, but I am so glad I found CrossfitX and the rest of the CrossFit community.  They truly want to see you reach your full potential, no matter what level you are at. Whatever that source of encouragement is for you, find it and never let go.  The pain of discipline hurts....but it NEVER hurts more than the pain of regret.  Give the gift of chance to yourself.  Your journey is waiting for you.

Checking in: Day 21 of 45

Some days it seems like 21 days went quickly, while other days we think "are we DONE yet??".  The Paleo Challenge has been a huge change of pace in the Hanson home, but one we are still glad that we decided to participate.  I have seen huge changes in Jon, especially in the way his clothes fit.  Just a month ago, he got a pair of jeans out that were too tight to wear.  Now they are baggy on him.  He's doing great!  I've felt more changes than I have "seen".  My performance at CrossfitX has seen tremendous improvements since going strict Paleo.  I have more stamina than I used to, and I am ready to go for extra rounds at the end of the workout when I usually would be laying on the floor after a WOD. 

Tuesday night was the moment when I realized just how important nutrition is to my body.  You can have a trainer, or anyone for that matter, tell you over and over how much performance improvement you will see when you put your nutrition in check....but until you FEEL it yourself I don't think the light bulb will come on.  I finally felt that this week.  Tuesdays and Thursdays I workout at CFX in the morning, and then do my own workout (mostly cardio) at night.  We have a small room at the apartment office that has a few machines, including a treadmill.  For those of you who know me, or have known me since I started at CFX 13 months ago, I am *not* a runner.  If you asked me which part of the law enforcement PAT is most intimidating, I will have to say the run/sprint.  In order to achieve the minimum-passing score on the 1.5mi run, I have to complete it in under 14:32.  I have a wonderful friend, Susie, who helped me get over the mental aspect of running the 1.5mi without stopping.  But my time was always around 15 or 16 minutes and I felt like I was going to pass out when it was over.  Tuesday night was a turning point for me.  I told myself that I was not going to stop, and kept hearing my trainer, Travis, telling me "you can do anything for 1 minute" and just kept repeating that as each minute passed.  I set the speed to 8.0 and just ran, faster than I have ever ran before, and I didn't stop.  I completed that 1.5mi in 11:15!  Of course, this was on a treadmill so once I got the rhythm down it was just a matter of not stopping.  I am anxious to try the track again when it's not raining.  I only wish I had my phone with me to take a picture, because that meant so much.  I still view myself as the "fat girl" many days.  It's like the syndrome that size 0 models have who think they are fat.  I believe I will fight that image the rest of my life, but feeling the difference that Crossfit and Paleo has made is what I needed to keep pushing. 

WWU opened a position for campus police this last week, and yes, the application is already submitted :).  City of Bellingham also opened the applications for entry level officer, for which I will submit the application this week.  Things are moving fast, and only God knows what will happen.  But I know that if I continue to come to class, and I continue to take the advice (and implement it!) that my trainers give me, I will one day realize the dream I have for me and our family. I'm nervous as can be, but so tremendously thankful to everyone at CFX, they truly are family to me.
________________________

I don't have a menu plan this week, as I am simplifying things for the next 7 days.  Our meals will be pretty simple, and perhaps a little boring, but I'm going to start trying to figure out Zone while still eating Paleo.  It's intimidating, but I think I can do it.  I've got lots to research and plan if I am going to take it on, but apparently it should kick-start things even quicker.

I'm not sure who all even reads our blog anymore, but I am hoping that somewhere out there, someone will take a chance on themselves because they deserve it.  Have a good week!

Ham & Egg Cups

These have become a weekly staple in our house because they are so easy, and so tasty! 

Ham & Egg Cups
- 1/2C mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1/2C shallots, finely chopped
- 12 large eggs
- 12 ham slices

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Saute shallots and mushrooms in skillet
3. Coat muffin pan with olive oil (I use coconut oil). Place ham slices in the muffin pan cups. You may want to cut a sliver in the ham slice to allow it to fold over itself when placed in the muffin pan.
4. Spoon the shallots and mushroom mixture into each ham cup.
5. Crack an individual egg into each ham cup.
6. Cook for 15 minutes or until the ham edges are crisp.

We have eaten on these for up to 4 days and they still taste great.  If you eat them right out of the oven, it has the texture of a poached egg.  Once they are refrigerated, and you reheat them in the microwave though, the egg becomes more cooked. I've also made them with bell pepper and onions in them and always put black pepper on the top for taste.  This isn't the best picture, but this is how I had one the other day for a mid-day snack:

Day 12, more recipes!

What a busy week this has been!  I don't quite have my new weekly menu up yet, but we have tried many new dishes this week that were a success. I will share some more recipes below.  Tonight we had dinner at my in-laws house and we brought our own food to eat, dessert included.  I was very proud of us both for making good choices because, trust me, it would have been SO much easier to let someone else cook for me and eat the blackberry pie that they had for dessert.  Walking away from dinner tonight knowing that I just filled up on healthy food and didn't touch anything bad was a great feeling.  Not to mention I was stuffed!  I have made quite a few things the last 24 hours: a dozen ham & egg cups, a turkey loaf, a sweet potato casserole, kale chips, sweet potato spears, hamburger patties, and sauteed apples.  Here's a few recipes...as requested!

All the recipes I have been using are from Paleo Comfort Foods, which you need to go out and buy, NOW!  It's fantastic, so easy to use, and my favorite part is that there is a picture of every recipe, so you know what it is supposed to look like!

Sweet Potato Casserole:

- 2 lbs sweet potatoes

- 1/4 C coconut milk

- 2 large eggs, beaten

- 1tsp vanilla

- 1tbsp coconut oil or grass-fed butter

- 2tsp cinnamon

- 1tsp nutmeg

- 1tsp lemon zest [left this out, didn't have any lemons]

- salt and pepper to taste [left this out too]

- 1/2C chopped pecans

*Extra ingredient I added - 1/3C shredded unsweetened coconut

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into equal cubes. Place in pot, cover with water, boil until soft (about 10min)

2. Preheat oven to 350

3. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Using hand mixer, mix in coconut milk

4. Add eggs, vanilla, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest

5. Place mixture into a 9x9" dish [I use an 8x8 and it's perfect]

6. Sprinkle chopped pecans [and coconut] on to

7. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown on top

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Sauteed Apples

- 3 apples, cored and sliced (used Pink Lady apples)

- 1tbsp grass-fed butter

- 2tsp cinnamon

- 1/2C chopped pecans

1. Bring frying pan to medium-high heat

2. Toast pecans for 3-4 minutes and then add butter

3. Add the apples and cinnamon

4. Saute for 5-7 minutes

I swear this tasted like apple pie without the filling, it was wonderful!  I have also created a version of this from Easy Paleo's website that involves using coconut milk in the mixture.  It tastes about the same, but I think I like this recipe a bit more because of the nuts.  You could substitute nuts for raisins if you would like.

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Sweet Potato Spears (substitute for french fries, feed THESE to your kids instead!)
- 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut into spears
- 1/4C extra virgin olive oil
- 2tsp cumin
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/2tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400, cover 2 cookie sheets with foil
2. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper
3. Place on baking sheets, do not crowd the pieces
4. Cook for 30-40 minutes, turning twice
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We had all 3 of these today and they were fantastic.  For lunch we had hamburger patties, sweet potato spears and turkey bacon.  I finally was able to make the turkey bacon crispy, so I was excited!!  The sweet potato casserole will feed us for about 3 days.  It is so sweet it almost tastes like dessert, so it's really enjoyable on lunch breaks at work when I usually would cave and eat some candy or drink a Diet Coke.  Sweet potatoes have helped me kick a lot of cravings actually.  I think Jon gets tired of them though, so I try to find other things to use as a substitute.  If you're interested, here's some workouts this week...it was a great week at CFX!

** WORKOUTS **

Monday
- Strength work:  find a new 3 rep max on back squat...120lbs!
- WOD: 4 minute row for calories (51), rest 4 minutes
              4 minute AMRAP: 10 box jumps, 10 pull-ups (3 rounds + 10 box jumps)
              4 minute rest
              4 minute AMRAP: 90 jump ropes, 10 knees to chest on pull-up bar (2 rounds + 5 K2C)

Tuesday
- Strength work: find new 3 rep max on press....only got to 75lbs
- WOD:  5 sets of 2 minute rounds. Within 2 minutes: row 250m and push press (75lbs) the remainder of the time. I ended up doing 53 push presses total
- Tuesday night: ran 2 miles

Wednesday
- This is my off day

Thursday
- Strength work: find new 3RM on deadlift....135lbs!
- WOD: 3 rounds for time: 500m row
                                           15 push-ups
                                           25 kettlebell swings (35lbs)
                                           [12:29]

Friday
- Strength work: find new 3RM on front squat...105lbs!

- WOD: 10min. AMRAP: 5 burpee pull-ups

                                          10 KB swings (35lbs)

                                          20 dumbell walking lunges

                                          [4 rounds + 5 KB swings]

Saturday

- WOD: 4x10m burpee broad jumps

              7 rounds: 5 KB Press (26lbs)

                              10 KB front squat (35lbs)

                              15 KB swings (35lbs)

               4x10m burpee broad jumps

               [21:09]